In 2001, a group of C-suite executives, business owners, professionals and corporate directors launched to the Business Ethics Forum to hone their personal development and professional excellence and prestige grounded on fundamental truths of the human person and what enables them flourish. Catholic Social Doctrine turned out to the playbook that applied in general because it is a framework based on truth, not religious affiliation.

And provide executives, independent directors and professionals with a framework to guide their personal development and professional success. The complex landscape of strategic and management decisions was simplified by the proven concepts that virtuous decisions based on a core truths of the human person lead to personal and commercial success.

Today, the Business Ethics Forum, Inc. operates as a 501c3 tax-exempt organization under the US IRS code funded by its sponsors, Annual Memberships and event fees. The BEF hosts quarterly case study discussion luncheons and speaker receptions. Both are downtown, with the luncheons at the Holy Cross Chapel conference center and speaker receptions at the Coronado Club. Registration is open to any executive, professional or corporate director, either as an Annual Member, Sponsor or guest who seeks to grow in personal virtue and professional excellence through a better philosophical understanding of human dignity, personal virtues and organizations flourish as community of persons.

BEF case studies apply particular concepts of Catholic Social Doctrine to concrete examples of governance, strategy and management. These concepts typically include the cardinal virtues (justice, prudence, temperance and charity) and the virtues of personal humility and magnanimity, all through the lens of the “other” and their dignity. The common good, subsidiarity and solidarity are also frequent topics. The case studies provide excerpts from the body of documents that make up Catholic Social Doctrine, especially the concise anthology of these resources founds in the Compendium of Social Doctrine of the Church. The case study examples are sometimes real business situations where participants can see the real-world implications, case vignettes crafted to highlight and focus the discussion on the core topics or recent articles or publications to which the concepts can be applied. In all cases, the focus is on concretely understanding and applying the concepts in the real world in a way that enhances enterprise value and professional success.

The BEF quarterly receptions feature speakers of professional acclaim and who reflect the BEF’s core principles in a meaningful way. This has included former Chairmen and CEO’s of public companies, corporate directors, academics and thought leaders whose insights and personal success and insights are congruent with these concepts and provide concrete examples of their application. Truth works regardless of how it is labeled, and speakers are selected based on their professional prestige and integrity, not religious affiliation.

In 2026, the BEF is piloting the BEF Fellows program. Over the year, many participants have requested a deeper dive into these core concepts and personal formation to better understand the principles each case is intended to communicate. Working with successful executive practitioners, academic and thought leaders, BEF Fellows receive four 1.5 workshops on related content and development of the relationships between the peers in their annual fellows cohort. BEF Fellows will also need to invest their time in completing pre-reads before the workshops, as well as completing two online self-study programs. The Virtuous Leadership Institute and OptimalWork have both made their content available to BEF Fellows included in the $1,500 fee that covers the cost of the workshop content and meals, reading materials and these on-line programs. The overall time commitment is commensurate with serving as an independent director on a company’s board of directors and promises to provide as much of a return on your investment.